Sheo Bhatt's invasions of Bengal
| Sheo Bhatt's invasions of Bengal | |||||||||
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| Part of Later Maratha invasions of Bengal | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Bengal SubahSupported by  East India Company | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Mir Qasim Mir Jafar Tilak Chand (POW) Ghulam Mustafa Muhammad Ali.svg){kind=small} Kaushal Chand(POW) |
 Janoji I Sheo Bhatt Chimna Sau Bhaskar Pandit | ||||||||
Background
Sheo Bhatt who was appointed as the first Hindu Maratha governer of Orrisa was deeply upset by the conspiracy against him and was resolved to seek revenge. He instructed Janoji to have Mirza Saleh collect the full amount of chauth from Mir Jafar. However, Mirza Saleh did not comply. Consequently, Sheo Bhatt offered to collect the chauth from the Nawab if he were appointed Subahdar of Orissa. Janoji Bhonsle agreed to this offer, but Sheo Bhatt was delayed at Nagpur and could not assume his new office immediately. He managed to secure a parwana from Janoji Bhonsle for Chimna Sau to govern Orissa, and Chimna Sau arrived at Cuttack, where he took control of part of the Barabati fort.
Mirza Saleh, who was allied with the Nawab and supported by the British, faced opposition from Chimna Sau, as the British feared losing their influence if Chimna Sau became Subahdar. This led to intermittent conflicts between the two sides over the next two years. Despite Sheo Bhatt's eagerness to take charge of Orissa, he was hindered by Janoji's conflicts with his brother Mudhoji I, who was rumored to be plotting Janoji's assassination. Mudhoji I mobilized his forces for revenge, further delaying Sheo Bhatt's departure.
By the end of June 1759, the conflict between Janoji Bhonsle and Mudhoji I had eased somewhat. Sheo Bhatt finally reached Cuttack in July 1759 with a force of about 4,000 horsemen and 1,500 foot soldiers. By then, a settlement had been reached, and Mirza Saleh had ceded the Subahdarship to Chimna Sau. Sheo Bhatt then took over the province from Chimna Sau.